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Abstract
This study examines the effects of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship on the state's public higher education institutions. Since the first cohort to be awarded the scholarship matriculated in the fall of 2004, research is sparse on Tennessee's case-specific reaction to this increasingly popular policy initiative.
Designed to utilize both qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis, this study examines public higher education institutions in the state of Tennessee. Regression analysis is employed to examine Tennessee's enrollment compared to other states without a large, merit-based scholarship as well as to explore institutional and system trends. To aid in understanding the institutional environment's reaction to the lottery scholarship, interviews were conducted with university presidents as well as representatives of the faculty, admissions office, and financial aid office.
Although enrollment in Tennessee's public higher education institutions was significantly higher in comparison to Southern Regional Education Board states and bordering states without a merit scholarship program, the difference in enrollment within the state of Tennessee before and after the lottery's activation was not significant. Data suggest significant differences between the enrollment patterns at 2- and 4-year institutions in the categories of (a) overall enrollment, (b) first-time students, (c) minority students, (d) ACT scores, and (e) in-state enrollment. The only significance indicated categorically was the enrollment of Hispanic students in 2-year institutions. Perceived enrollment effects due to the lottery scholarship were persistent throughout the interview process. Institutional representatives reported hiring additional faculty and financial aid staff, initiating and/or restructuring student support programs, and increasing campus residency. Continual changes in scholarship requirements and lack of institutional control are listed among areas of concern.
The evident shift of enrollment from 2- to 4-year institutions suggests that the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship may be increasing the students' ability to attend their college of choice, but data do not yet indicate an increase of access to postsecondary education. Data are limited because the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program has not yet reached maturity. As additional data become available, enrollment trends and institutional reactions to Tennessee's Education Lottery Scholarship program will become more evident.
